While James Gunn has begun filming for his first chapter of the new DCU, Superman, he has also been working extra hard as the DC Studios chief to dispel rumors about his films or any other upcoming films in the franchise. The filmmaker is known to be active on Threads and frequently provides answers to fans about a rumor in case it is fake.
Gunn recently debunked a rumor about the casting of a former Marvel star to play Harvey Dent in Matt Reeves’ upcoming film The Batman: Part II. Narcos star Boyd Holbrook was rumored to have joined the cast of the Robert Pattinson starrer as Two-Face. However, Gunn quickly squashed the rumor, saying that the news report was fake.
James Gunn Squashed Rumors Of Boyd Holbrook In The Batman: Part II
While James Gunn’s new DCU essentially rebooted the Extended Universe that was kickstarted by Zack Snyder, some of the ‘Elseworld’ stories remained unaffected by his onboarding as the new chief of DC Studios. This meant that films such as The Batman and Joker were not affected by the reboot as they were not part of the main continuity.
The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker has been active on Threads since the pre-production of the first DCU film Superman (previously Superman: Legacy). He has often dispelled rumors and fake news arising about the franchise’s developments, including casting and new film announcements. Recently, he debunked a rumor about Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II.
An exclusive report by Medium revealed that actor Boyd Holbrook had been cast as Harvey Dent a.k.a Two-Face in the film opposite Robert Pattinson. The actor was known for his role as DEA Agent Steve Murphy in the Netflix series Narcos. He also starred in The Sandman as Corinthian. However, his most popular character is that of Donald Pierce in the Marvel/Fox film Logan.
While fans speculated about the actor’s involvement in the film, James Gunn was quick to dismiss the rumor. In response to a fanon Threads asking Gunn if Holbrook had been cast whale attaching the article by Medium, the filmmaker said that the report was fake. Fans seemed to have been disappointed with the development.
gunn like pic.twitter.com/yoVUDIIT2M
— WS23 (@WithStyle22) March 30, 2024
The second reply is to the weirdos who think Gunn can't say anything about a DC studios film not made by him (the co CEO of DC studios btw)
— SUPER SOCIETY (@MalMatt123) March 30, 2024
Damn that was a cool rumor while it lasted 🥲
— Jakub (@Jakub7400584372) March 30, 2024
it's weird how people are blowing this out of proportion.
— Nawadays (@nyambenawa5) March 30, 2024
If the script isn’t ready yet why would there be a casting. Same with months ago ppl saying who the villains were when the Batman part 2 script wasn’t even finished yet.
— Mars (@Mars94794455) March 30, 2024
The filmmaker also responded to a post by Medium which mentioned that Gunn did not have control over the ‘Elseworld’ films. He mentioned that all new DC films would come under the studio.
Who Will Feature In Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II?
Boyd Holbrook’s rumored casting as Harvey Dent was the first report of a new actor for The Batman: Part II. The Matt Reeves directorial was greenlit in April 2022 after the first film received critical and commercial success (via THR). Robert Pattinson was set to return as the Caped Crusader while other characters from the first film were also rumored to reprise the role.
While the film was initially set for an October 2025 release, The Batman: Part II was pushed to October 2026 due to delays in filming. According to Jeff Sneider, production was set to begin in April 2025 as the makers wanted to get the script locked in to ramp up the casting process. Many villains have been rumored to be a part of the film, including Clayface and Hush (via Comic Book).
Apart from Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, who played James Gordon in the first film, as well as Paul Dano, who played the Riddler, might reprise their roles. The ending of The Batman also introduced Barry Keoghan’s Joker in Arkham Asylum, with a deleted scene extending his presence. The actor might have a larger appearance in the sequel along with other villains.
